Denial
by nelipot's script
Summary: Scorpius never expected to be put in Gryffindor, and most definitely never expected a certain Potter to follow him around, insisting they were friends. Who said a Potter and a Malfoy could never be friends? Well, the Malfoy did for one, but apparently he doesn't count.


**Just to get this straight, this story will not be Albus/Scorpius slash, or Rose/Scorpius, because, although I am partial to a bit of Albus/Scorpius, in my head (and heart XD) Scorpius will always belong with Lily. And I can't stand the couple Rose/Scorpius. Don't ask me why, I just can't. I can only see them as friends, no more. Lily won't appear in this, because she's too young. So this is all friendship/life at Hogwarts fun. :) James might have a romance or two (I don't really know), as may other secondary characters in this story (Teddy and Victoire will probably be mentioned), but this is not focussed on romance.**

**I shall probably try and include humour in this story, but I don't really know whether I can really make it funny – I'm not that good at writing comedy, but I _love_ reading it. So there will be some attempted humour. :) But this is mainly focussed on Scorpius, who is one of my favourite ever characters, which is ridiculous because he is only briefly mentioned and no more. I just love him. 3 I love Lily too, which also makes practically no sense, so I guess I just love characters which can pretty much be invented, with a basis taken only from their parents. I don't know… This is also focussed on Albus and I'm quite proud of my Albus, and my Scorpius/Albus interations but I guess you can judge it for yourselves. Oh, and I also love Albus of course, who doesn't? :)**

**Anyway, after those two pointless paragraphs, I'll get on with the story. And yes, they are pretty much irrelevant, so if you skipped them, don't worry. :) Oh, and, just so you know, there is a bit of an adventure in this, but it's pretty short and I don't know how to put it into the summary without giving it away, so I just didn't bother.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Harry Potter_.**

Scorpius was in shock. This was a first for him, and he hoped it was a last. You couldn't really blame him though. He had been looking forward to Hogwarts for ages, following in his family's footsteps and being sorted into Slytherin. So what happened? The stupid Hat had to put him in stupid Gryffindor. Scorpius had never really considered himself lucky. Yes, his family was rich, but he was a _Malfoy_. Malfoys were just generally better than anyone else, that didn't mean he was _lucky_. Just _better_. However, at the moment, he was feeling both distinctly _unlucky_ and, well, he wouldn't go as far as to say he wasn't still better, he had just been placed among the rabble, rather than above them with Slytherin.

Scorpius was still feeling rather sorry for himself when a boy knocked him gently on the shoulder, causing him to turn his head to the side with a glare. He wouldn't let anyone see him wallowing; he definitely had more pride than that.

"Yes?" he asked testily. That didn't wipe the grin off the boy's expression, who, on closer inspection, Scorpius realised with horror was the Harry Potter lookalike his father had pointed out at the station.

"Hi, I'm Albus Potter." The Potter boy held out a hand for Scorpius to shake, which he pointedly ignored. Not looking at all put out, Albus lowered his hand, the bright grin which had already began to irritate Scorpius still plastered across his face. "I know who you are. You're Scorpius Malfoy," Albus then said, which Scorpius thought was quite unnecessary.

"Yes, I know who I am, thanks," he snapped sarcastically. Albus's grin, for some unknown reason, widened.

"Oh good, I wasn't sure." Turning back to the front, Albus crossed his fingers. "Come on Lucy, come on Rose," he murmured. He shot Scorpius a look. "Cross your fingers too. For luck," he added, something else which Scorpius found completely unnecessary. He knew the stupid cross-your-fingers-for-good-luck superstition.

Shooting Albus an incredulous look, Scorpius replied snidely, "That they'll be in a different House? Certainly."

"That's not very nice," Albus reprimanded, causing Scorpius to give him another sceptical glance. He was fairly certain that Albus Potter was insane. Just then, Albus let out a wild cheer, causing Scorpius to nearly fall out of his chair and cast a dark look toward the oblivious boy next to him.

Insanely annoying, that was for sure.

"Hey Lucy, sit there," Albus called, pointing to the seat opposite himself and Scorpius, and the redhead followed his command, smiling shyly as she seated herself.

"Hey Al," she grinned before turning to Scorpius, "I'm Lucy Weasley." She held out a hand for Scorpius to shake, which he also ignored.

"Oh, don't mind him, he's grumpy," Albus told Lucy cheerfully, seeing that she looked a bit embarrassed as she lowered her hand, before they both joined the cheers as the second Weasley was also placed in Gryffindor. Scorpius wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. Two Weasleys and a Potter? He didn't think he could stand it.

"Well done guys," said the second redheaded Weasley as she sat down. "I'm starved." Both of the others snorted.

"You're _so_ like Uncle Ron," Lucy told her. The other girl smirked back.

"It annoys the hell out of Mum," she replied. "But seriously, I am starved."

"You eat more than me, and I'm a _boy_," Albus put it. The girl glared.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Albus gulped.

"Nothing, nothing," he said, tying to shrug it off. Scorpius smirked.

"I think he's trying to call you fat," he couldn't resist saying. The girl turned towards him, a dangerous expression on her face.

"_What was that_?" Scorpius's smug smirk widened.

"Are you deaf too?" he questioned innocently. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Albus was trying desperately to keep a straight face, while Lucy looked torn between amusement and annoyance on the other girl's behalf.

"_No, I'm not_," the girl growled. "I just didn't think you would have been stupid enough to say what you said. Clearly you are."

"Just honest." Scorpius shrugged. The girl huffed, opening her mouth angrily, but Lucy cut in.

"Stop it, guys!" she turned to Scorpius. "I'm sorry, but who actually _are_ you?" Scorpius raised an eyebrow at her, but Albus broke in before he could respond.

"This is Scorpius Malfoy. Scorpius, this is my cousin Lucy," he indicated the first girl, who Scorpius already knew the name of, "and this is my other cousin Rose." He pointed towards the huffing, frizzy haired girl.

"Like I care," muttered Scorpius. Albus heard him.

"Don't be so rude," he scolded. Scorpius scowled at him, completely infuriated by this boy who thought he could just tell him what to do. He was a _Malfoy_, for crying out loud. He didn't listen to orders.

"I'm not five, and I'm not going to follow orders from you," he snapped, sneering in Albus's direction.

"Leave him alone," Rose snapped back, but Albus held up a hand, surprisingly _still_ happy. Scorpius couldn't stop the word _insane_ from drifting across his brain again.

"It's fine, it's just how our friendship works." All three of the others turned to stare at him. "What?"

"We don't have a _friendship_. You just started talking and wouldn't shut up," Scorpius replied sharply, glaring. Albus laughed and this time Scorpius was the one to say, "What?"

"Oh, nothing," he smiled innocently, or as innocently as Potter could. Scorpius watched him suspiciously.

_Completely and utterly barking, that's what Albus Potter was, completely and utterly barking._

"Well, you're in a better mood, Al," Rose observed. At Albus's questioning glance she elaborated, "Earlier you seemed a bit down and rather nervous. Now you seem a lot happier and more comfortable and definitely less shy, in fact pretty forward, not reserved like before," she spouted. Albus, with that same stupid grin which never left his face, Scorpius noted in irritation, just shrugged.

"I was worried about what House I would be put in, but Dad was right, I had nothing to fear. Now I'm in Gryffindor, everything just seems so much better. So much for James's teasing," Albus explained. Rose and Lucy nodded in understanding, while Scorpius stared blankly at the table. _At least_ someone_ was happy to be in Gryffindor, _he sneered in his head, feeling confused at to why anybody would want to be in this House. But then again, it was a _Potter_ and really, that should explain it.

"Attention everybody," came Professor McGonagall's voice, and, feeling relieved at the silence that fell, something he hadn't had since Potter sat down, Scorpius turned to face the Headmistress of Hogwarts, glad that the conversation was cut off, because he just could not understand the delight the others felt at being in Gryffindor, and it made him depressed to know that other people got what they wanted and he, a Malfoy, didn't. It didn't seem right, it didn't seem fair, and it didn't seem normal.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall continued. "I'm sure you are all hungry," Rose looked like she was holding in a groan of agreement, "and I won't keep you from your dinner," Rose nodded in appreciation this time, "so I will save my speech until after the meal. Tuck in everyone."

Scorpius couldn't even tease Rose for the moan she let out at the sight of all the food that appeared, because he had difficulty not doing the same thing. Everybody started to pile their plates with the delicious assortment of food, Scorpius among them, although no one seemed to have more than Rose Weasley, who looked like she had a small mountain on her plate.

"Finally," Rose sighed, after swallowing a whole Yorkshire pudding as Scorpius looked on in disbelief. Albus and Lucy, clearly used to their cousin's eating habits, merely raised their eyebrows at each other and continued eating. Scorpius, however, was not.

"You eat like a pig," he said bluntly.

"You look like a pig," Rose replied, trying to keep her voice deceptively sweet and failing miserably. "Now shut the hell up, I'm trying to eat."

"I don't think I will, thanks," Scorpius replied coolly. "It seems to annoy you." Rose tried to retort, but had just taken another huge mouthful of food, so she only succeeded in spluttering and choking.

Calmly patting her cousin on the back, Lucy spoke to Scorpius, "No wonder you were put in Gryffindor. I've never seen anyone deliberately provoke the wrath of Rose." Scorpius scowled at the reminder of the House he had been unjustly placed in and, even worse if that was possible, the fact that the girl seemed to believe that he actually _belonged_ in Gryffindor. "Watch your back though," she added in warning. "Rose has inherited the mischievous, prankster Weasley side." Rose smirked. Scorpius kept his face black, showing how little he cared.

"I heard _mischievous_, _prankster_ and _Weasley_," said a boy, another redhead so probably another Weasley, Scorpius deduced miserably. This was confirmed with the boy's next words: "Who's talking about me?"

"Nobody Fred," Lucy sighed. "I was talking about Rose." Fred looked over at Rose.

"Ah, she's alright, but we all know I'm the best prankster around." The boy next to him, a black haired, brown eyed boy, who looked too much like Albus for Scorpius to think he could actually be not related to any of the others, nudged him sharply in the ribs. "I meant _we_, really, James," Fred said hastily. James grinned in apparent acceptance.

"Well done, little brother," he said, looking at Albus. Scorpius groaned. The older brother, of course. "Cousins," he added, turning to face the girls.

"Yeah, nice one," Fred put in.

"I thought for sure we'd have a little Slytherin, Al sure smells enough," James laughed. Albus scowled.

"Shut up James. Anyway, Scorpius is the one who _wants _to be a Slytherin." Scorpius gaped, unsure as to why he was being pulled into this clearly family only conversation.

"Yeah, so?" he sneered. "Why do you care?" James and Fred exchanged significant glances.

"Ah, Scorpius Malfoy," James said. Scorpius smoothly raised one eyebrow.

"Yes?"

"Albus thinks they're _friends_," Rose put in disbelievingly. "It's not the fact that he's a Malfoy, or that he wants to be in Slytherin. I don't care about all this stupid House rivalry," she continued, ignoring James and Fred's mock horror at her words, "but, the fact is, he's terribly rude and just completely horrible." She turned to Scorpius, who didn't look at all bothered by her words. "No offense."

"None taken, I'm sure. I don't wish to be friends with any of you anyway. But I've got to say, you're not exactly being polite yourself, Little Miss Hypocrite." Scorpius couldn't help but put the jab in. Rose blushed slightly but stood her ground.

"Hey," Albus piped in defensively. "I can choose my own friends. And you know we're friends really, Scorp." Scorpius had never wanted to strangle anyone so much before in his entire life.

"_What did you just call me?_" he snarled through gritted teeth, trying desperately to keep his anger under control, while the others all gaped at Albus. Albus shrugged.

"Scorp. As we're best friends and all, I thought I needed to give you a nickname. Scorpius is just too long and formal." He pulled a face, paying no attention to Scorpius's murderous expression. James cackled.

"Oh, this is just too good. Keep it up, Al," he encouraged. Albus looked at him blankly.

"Keep what up?"

"Well, this." James waved his arms round, spluttering a bit, unsure of how his brother didn't understand. "You know…um…" Not knowing how to phrase what he was trying to say, James trailed off, looking to the others for help, none of whom were able to offer anything useful in return. James huffed as Albus still looked blank.

"_Ok_," Albus drew out the word, allowing it to linger to show his confusion. "Anyway, I think we should get to know each other better," he spoke to Scorpius now, who scoffed.

"Not likely."

"You can't stop me from telling you about myself," Albus now spoke in that annoying singsong tone people use when they are just _trying_ to be irritating.

"Oh, look, dessert," Scorpius said frantically, looking for a distraction. He quickly began to eat some, tuning out Albus's excessive chatter.

On the other side of the table, the two girls observed with interest.

"I don't know why he bothers," Rose whispered to Lucy. "Scorpius clearly isn't listening and he isn't very nice anyway. Albus should just give it up." Lucy shrugged, and shook her head slightly.

"Oh, I don't know about that. Yes, Scorpius is blatantly ignoring him now, but I think Al is right in giving him a chance. He has potential, I can tell," she spoke firmly, leaving no room for argument, but that didn't stop Rose from opening her mouth in protest. Lucy kept right on talking, disregarding the fact that her cousin was trying to say something, "Scorpius needn't keep responding. If he really, truly didn't care, he would not bother even talking. He's going to have to share a dormitory with Al, so if he really wanted to be left alone, he would only achieve that by silence. Look, every now and then, he tells Al to shut up. That's a good sign." Rose looked incredulous.

"You're nearly as insane as Al." Lucy chortled. "I don't agree with you, I feel that Scorpius is trying to make Al ignore him, but I won't argue with you on this. We'll see what happens."

"Which is the copout's way of getting the last word," Lucy accused good-naturedly. Rose laughed.

"I inherited my mother's brains, after all," she pointed out, smirking.

"But neither of your parents were exactly a whiz at any form of relationships, now were they?" Lucy responded, with a matching smirk on her face. Rose scowled.

"Not true," she muttered, knowing that it was, but feeling that she had to deny it anyway. Lucy laughed, seeing straight through it.

"Sure, sure," she replied, a sarcastic tone to her voice, as she nudged Rose in the side playfully. Rose nudged back, and both girls giggled.

When everyone had finally finished eating and the plates had returned to their original sparkly cleanliness (with Rose watching carefully, enthusiastic for when she would start lessons on magic, such as the switching spell she was sure was being used here), Professor McGonagall stood up to make her start of school speech.

"I would like to welcome all of the first years to Hogwarts, and welcome back all of the older years. I shall start by warning you that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to _all_ students," she looked severely at them, her tight bun adding to the effect of the glare she shot in James and Fred's direction, who both did their best to look innocent but couldn't hold back their smirks, "for obvious reasons. Mr Filch has asked me to inform you that every item on the list on the door to his office is also forbidden, and that should be respected by every student as well. Also, Mr Filch will enforce the rules of no magic in the corridors and no students out of bed after hours. Now, as tomorrow shall be a busy day for everyone, I think it is time to call it a night. First years, please follow your House prefects to your House common rooms. You are dismissed."

There was an immediate explosion of noise, from everyone rising from their seats, and also, to everyone's surprise, from fireworks bursting up from behind the staff's tables, forming the image of an animal that Albus seemed to recognise at once. He groaned, slapping his forehead with his hand.

"What is it?" asked Lucy.

"It's an alpaca," Albus replied, groaning and shooting his older brother a suspicious glance. "James teased me that if I became an animagus then I would be an alpaca because 'we have similar necks'. He clearly thought it was clever because he kept saying Al-paca to make me look before he finished the word. I ignored him for a while after that, not trusting that when he said 'Al' he wouldn't continue to end it with 'paca'." Rose and Lucy both laughed at the explanation, while Scorpius smirked at the comment about Albus's neck, although it was truthfully no longer than a normal neck.

Professor McGonagall seemed to have reached the same conclusion as Albus, because she, after failing to instantly remove the fireworks, said loudly, drawing silence in the hall, "James Potter and Fred Weasley, stay behind. Everybody else, please leave the hall immediately."

As they left, Albus, Rose, Lucy and Scorpius all heard James and Fred protesting their 'innocence', which not a single person believed. However they couldn't stay for the amusement as they were quickly ushered out by the Gryffindor prefects, two of whom, Scorpius was loathe to discover, were Weasleys.

"Thank you Dominique, Louis," Albus, Rose and Lucy chorused as the older Weasley cousins congratulated them. The other first years, to Scorpius's disgust, looked scared and in awe of the older students, especially when the oldest of the three siblings, Victoire, gave her congratulations too, before she tackled her duties as Head Girl to make sure everyone was organised.

"I better wait here," she told her siblings. "I bet that James and Fred will try and sneak off on their way back to the dormitories and they don't know the password anyway."

Louis nodded in agreement, while Dominique said, "Better you than me. Those boys drive me crazy." But she grinned as she said it and Victoire rolled her eyes.

"You can take them on easily."

"I know, I enjoy installing fear in them. I just don't like feeling stuffy. That's your job," and she danced off, leading the first years after her, with Louis taking up the rear, shaking his head but smiling at his sister's antics, while Victoire was left behind, pretending to look mad but showing clear amusement on her face at her sister's cheek.

On the way up to the House common room, Scorpius couldn't help but notice exactly how large the Weasley family seemed to be, as a huge number of red haired students came speak quickly to Albus, Rose and Lucy, as well as a few other students who, while not being red haired, Scorpius was sure were also related in some way to the three students who had already become the bane of his existence. Especially the Potter boy, who he couldn't seem to avoid, no matter how many students he tried to put between them. Albus seemed to be an expert at dodging through crowds.

Upon reaching the dormitories, Scorpius and Albus both collapsed on their beds along with the other first year boys, completely exhausted from the long day. Scorpius barely gave any thought to the fact he would have to share living quarters with _Potter_ and all the other Gryffindor first year boys, for he was much too tired to even complain in his head. Tomorrow would be a busy day, what with the new lessons, the new place to live, the huge castle to find his way round, and, Scorpius groaned, shifting in his bed, having to send an owl admitting to his parents that he had not been put in Slytherin after all. He wondered, just as he dropped off, exactly how they would take to having a Gryffindor son.

**For those who don't know (and shame on you if you don't :P):**

**Lucy is Percy and Audrey's second daughter (their first is called Molly),**

**Fred is George and Angelina's son,**

**Victoire is Bill and Fleur's first daughter (this was in the book, so I hope you know it),**

**Dominique is Bill and Fleur's second daughter,**

**Louis is Bill and Fleur's son and youngest child,**

**I'm going to assume you all know who Scorpius and Albus are (considering you are reading this story) and Rose and James (just because I feel you definitely should :P).**

**For those who do know (hopefully everyone), don't worry, I only put that in just in case. :)**

**Well, thank you for reading and I hope you like it so far. And please review, because it would make my day. Constructive criticism is always, always welcome. I don't even hate flames, as they count as a review on my review count. :)**


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